Epiville

Quizzes

Quiz 1, Module Sars1

1. Based on what you just have learned, how would you go about preparing a case definition for this outbreak in Epivillle?

  1. Compile a table of symptoms from all suspected SARS cases and from patients with other diagnosed respiratory illnesses, then provide information in terms of PPT.
  2. Compile a table of symptoms of all patients who were admitted to the hospital during the same time that the first patients were admitted to the Epiville General Hospital.
  3. Compile a table of symptoms of all patients who were admitted to the Epiville General Hospital over the last year and who lived in the Amoy Apartment Complex.
Answer (a) — correct: This answer meets both the clinical criteria of suspected SARS and PPT restriction of the case definition (i.e., this answer fulfills the first step of an outbreak investigation, defining a case, as well as the second step of an outbreak investigation, defining the epidemic in terms of PPT).
Answer (b) — incorrect: This answer does not meet the clinical criteria of SARS. It does, however, meet the time requirement of PPT (i.e., this answer fulfills the first step of an outbreak investigation, defining a case, but not the second step of an outbreak investigation, defining the epidemic in terms of PPT.
Answer (c) — incorrect: Here you are ignoring the clinical criteria of the case definition in an attempt to capture the place element of PPT (i.e., everyone who lived in the Amoy Apartment Complex). Thus, this answer fulfills the second step of an outbreak investigation, investigating PPT, but not the first step of an outbreak investigation, defining a case.